Time-resolved measurement of dissipation-induced decoherence in a Josephson junction

We determined the dissipation-induced decoherence time (DIDT) of a superconducting Josephson tunnel junction by time-resolved measurements of its escape dynamics. Double-exponential behavior of the time-dependent escape probability was observed, suggesting the occurrence of a two-level decay-tunneling process in which energy relaxation from the excited to the ground level significantly affects the escape dynamics of the system. The observation of temporal double-exponential dependence enables direct measurements of the DIDT, a property critical to the study of quantum dynamics and the realization of macroscopic quantum coherence and quantum computing. We found that the DIDT was tau(d) > 11 micros at T = 0.55 K, demonstrating good prospects for implementing quantum computing with Josephson devices.     

Josephson junction arrays with Bose-Einstein condensates

We report on the direct observation of an oscillating atomic current in a one-dimensional array of Josephson junctions realized with an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate. The array is created by a laser standing wave, with the condensates trapped in the valleys of the periodic potential and weakly coupled by the interwell barriers. The coherence of multiple tunneling between adjacent wells is continuously probed by atomic interference. The square of the small-amplitude oscillation frequency is proportional to the microscopic tunneling rate of each condensate through the barriers and provides a direct measurement of the Josephson critical current as a function of the intermediate barrier heights. Our superfluid array may allow investigation of phenomena so far inaccessible to superconducting Josephson junctions and lays a bridge between the condensate dynamics and the physics of discrete nonlinear media.     

Coherent temporal oscillations of macroscopic quantum states in a Josephson junction

We report the generation and observation of coherent temporal oscillations between the macroscopic quantum states of a Josephson tunnel junction by applying microwaves with frequencies close to the level separation. Coherent temporal oscillations of excited state populations were observed by monitoring the junction's tunneling probability as a function of time. From the data, the lower limit of phase decoherence time was estimated to be about 5 microseconds.     

Low-noise current amplifier based on mesoscopic Josephson junction

We used the band structure of a mesoscopic Josephson junction to construct low-noise amplifiers. By taking advantage of the quantum dynamics of a Josephson junction, i.e., the interplay of interlevel transitions and the Coulomb blockade of Cooper pairs, we created transistor-like devices, Bloch oscillating transistors, with considerable current gain and high-input impedance. In these transistors, the correlated supercurrent of Cooper pairs is controlled by a small base current made up of single electrons. Our devices reached current and power gains on the order of 30 and 5, respectively. The noise temperature was estimated to be around 1 kelvin, but noise temperatures of less than 0.1 kelvin can be realistically achieved. These devices provide quantum-electronic building blocks that will be useful at low temperatures in low-noise circuit applications with an intermediate impedance level.     

Quantum Hall effect in a gate-controlled p-n junction of graphene

The unique band structure of graphene allows reconfigurable electric-field control of carrier type and density, making graphene an ideal candidate for bipolar nanoelectronics. We report the realization of a single-layer graphene p-n junction in which carrier type and density in two adjacent regions are locally controlled by electrostatic gating. Transport measurements in the quantum Hall regime reveal new plateaus of two-terminal conductance across the junction at 1 and 32 times the quantum of conductance, e(2)/h, consistent with recent theory. Beyond enabling investigations in condensed-matter physics, the demonstrated local-gating technique sets the foundation for a future graphene-based bipolar technology.     

Quantum mechanics of a macroscopic variable: the phase difference of a josephson junction

Experiments to investigate the quantum behavior of a macroscopic degree of freedom, namely the phase difference across a Josephson tunnel junction, are described. The experiments involve measurements of the escape rate of the junction from its zero voltage state. Low temperature measurements of the escape rate for junctions that are either nearly undamped or moderately damped agree very closely with predictions for macroscopic quantum tunneling, with no adjustable parameters. Microwave spectroscopy reveals quantized energy levels in the potential well of the junction in excellent agreement with quantum-mechanical calculations. The system can be regarded as a "macroscopic nucleus with wires."     

Quantum theory of chemical reaction dynamics

It is now possible to use rigorous quantum scattering theory to perform accurate calculations on the detailed state-to-state dynamics of chemical reactions in the gas phase. Calculations on simple reactions, such as H + D2 --> HD + D and F + H2 --> HF + H, compete with experiment in their accuracy. Recent advances in theory promise to extend such accurate predictions to more complicated reactions, such as OH + H2 --> H2O + H, and even to reactions of molecules on solid surfaces. New experimental techniques for probing reaction transition states, such as negative-ion photodetachment spectroscopy and pump-probe femtosecond spectroscopy, are stimulating the development of new theories.     

Peptide cotransmitter at a neuromuscular junction

The neuropeptide proctolin (H-Arg-Tyr-Leu-Pro-Thr-OH) is present in the nerve terminals of an identified slow skeletal motoneuron in the cockroach. Proctolin is released onto the target muscle, a coxal depressor, by neuron stimulation and by depolarization with potassium. The physiological action of the motoneuron suggests that proctolin acts as a cotransmitter. Proctolin and neural stimulation produce delayed and sustained contractile effects without muscle depolarization.     

Quantum annealing of a disordered magnet

Traditional simulated annealing uses thermal fluctuations for convergence in optimization problems. Quantum tunneling provides a different mechanism for moving between states, with the potential for reduced time scales. Thermal and quantum annealing are compared in a model disordered magnet, where the effects of quantum mechanics can be tuned by varying an applied magnetic field. The results indicate that quantum annealing hastens convergence to the optimum state.     

Habituation: occurrence at a neuromuscular junction

At the neuromuscular junctions between the motor giant axon and fast flexor muscle fibers in crayfish, stimulation at frequencies of one per minute produces a large decline in the amplitude of excitatory junctional potentials. Recovery (dishabituation) can be brought about by increases in stimulus frequency, which trigger a potentiation process; at still higher frequencies, a second form of depression intervenes. The last process appears to be due to depletion of transmitter; the first probably depends instead upon electrical changes in presynaptic terminals. Because of the interactions between the three processes, the junctions display the properties of habituation and dishabituation usually associated with complex central nervous networks.     

Ultraviolet emission from a diamond pn junction

We report the realization of an ultraviolet light-emitting diode with the use of a diamond pn junction. The pn junction was formed from a boron-doped p-type diamond layer and phosphorus-doped n-type diamond layer grown epitaxially on the 111 surface of single crystalline diamond. The pn junction exhibited good diode characteristics, and at forward bias of about 20 volts strong ultraviolet light emission at 235 nanometers was observed and was attributed to free exciton recombination.     

Three-dimensional structure of a recombinant gap junction membrane channel

Gap junction membrane channels mediate electrical and metabolic coupling between adjacent cells. The structure of a recombinant cardiac gap junction channel was determined by electron crystallography at resolutions of 7.5 angstroms in the membrane plane and 21 angstroms in the vertical direction. The dodecameric channel was formed by the end-to-end docking of two hexamers, each of which displayed 24 rods of density in the membrane interior, which is consistent with an alpha-helical conformation for the four transmembrane domains of each connexin subunit. The transmembrane alpha-helical rods contrasted with the double-layered appearance of the extracellular domains. Although not indicative for a particular type of secondary structure, the protein density that formed the extracellular vestibule provided a tight seal to exclude the exchange of substances with the extracellular milieu.     

Simultaneous state measurement of coupled Josephson phase qubits

One of the many challenges of building a scalable quantum computer is single-shot measurement of all the quantum bits (qubits). We have used simultaneous single-shot measurement of coupled Josephson phase qubits to directly probe interaction of the qubits in the time domain. The concept of measurement crosstalk is introduced, and we show that its effects are minimized by careful adjustment of the timing of the measurements. We observe the antiphase oscillation of the two-qubit 01 and 10 states, consistent with quantum mechanical entanglement of these states, thereby opening the possibility for full characterization of multiqubit gates and elementary quantum algorithms.     

Dok-7 mutations underlie a neuromuscular junction synaptopathy

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMSs) are a group of inherited disorders of neuromuscular transmission characterized by fatigable muscle weakness. One major subgroup of patients shows a characteristic "limb girdle" pattern of muscle weakness, in which the muscles have small, simplified neuromuscular junctions but normal acetylcholine receptor and acetylcholinesterase function. We showed that recessive inheritance of mutations in Dok-7, which result in a defective structure of the neuromuscular junction, is a cause of CMS with proximal muscle weakness.     

Chemistry. How to assemble a molecular junction

Junctions between metals and molecules play an important role in molecular electronics. Advances in this field are hampered by the lack of understanding of the electronic structure of organic-metal interfaces. In his Perspective, Kummel highlights the report by Nazin et al. (3), who have used scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to assemble a metal-molecule-metal junction. Subsequently, they employed the STM tip to probe the atomic structure and local electronic properties of the metal-molecule interface in unprecedented detail. They find evidence for strong coupling between the molecular and metal states. Such coupling affects the conductivity of metal-molecule-metal junctions.